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YOUR favorite Jamie book (and why)?

Hello! I'm new-ish to Jamie's books, but I've found that all the recipes I have used in Jamie's Dinners to be really solid. In the interest of expanding my library, which are your personal favorites, and why?

Here's why I like the book: I'm a wife, mom AND a high school teacher, so time is a commodity. I like the simple and easily obtainable ingredients, straightforward and uncomplicated instructions, and gorgeous, illustrative photos of Jamie's Dinners. Also, I like the fact that many recipes are "one-dish" meals that basically take the place of the requisite main-veg/salad-starch combination. (Again, time is precious.) The deal-sealer is that everything is nutritious (I can honestly say that I feel better about myself as a "sustenance provider" when I serve my family one of these meals!) AND delicious; the food comes out as tasty as it looks it the photos. This is KEY with kids!

Here's a little more info: We're not vegetarians (tho' I was many years ago), but I'm desperate to find ways to inject more vegetables into our collective diet. I need easy, yummy recipes for any kind of veggie; the more kid-tested, the better.

Lately my husband and I have succumbed to the Great American Malaise: no time to cook; let's just grab a pizza on the way home. As much as we love our pizza (always will!), we need to get a grip. My husband's a good cook with a refined palate (in the wine business) who generally enjoys cooking, at least more than I do. He's the type who will cook half the day on Sunday for the rest of the week. We need tried-and-true family-style recipes of two sorts: on-the-fly "quick fixes" and main courses that can be made ahead for later consumption.

Culinary preferences? My husband and son (14 yrs.) like comfort food. My husband is especially good with pasta and meat & marinara sauces, but my son & I get a little tired of these two variations. My daughter (7 yrs.) is more finicky than our son, but we don't cater too much to her initial balking at new foods/recipes. So we're pretty flexible, all in all.

Re: YOUR favorite Jamie book (and why)?

"Jamie Olivers Dinners" is the best it has Fabulous Menus that can be tweeked for any special occasion if you want to show off a little as well regards janicex (Floridax) p.s my second Favourite is The Return of the Naked Chef this also has very fabulous easy to do STUFFxx

Re: YOUR favorite Jamie book (and why)?

Difficult question as I really love them all.However if I really would have to list my favorite.... I can only narrow it down to 3. Jamie's Dinners, Jamie's Italy and his latest one... not sure what the English title is as I have all his books in Dutch.Maybe a nice suggestion for one of Jamies next book.... Jamie's Azian cooking I would surely buy that... CheersReinalda

Re: YOUR favorite Jamie book (and why)?

My favotite book is the new book. i have more books of jamie oliver and there all amazing.But in the new book there is so much information and i learn so much about the world of cooking so for me is this the best cooking book of jamie oliver.

Re: YOUR favorite Jamie book (and why)?

jandemartino wrote:

"Jamie Olivers Dinners" is the best it has Fabulous Menus that can be tweeked for any special occasion if you want to show off a little as well regards janicex (Floridax) p.s my second Favourite is The Return of the Naked Chef this also has very fabulous easy to do STUFFxx

Thanks, Janice. I'll take your advice on The Return of the Naked Chef. Easy = good.

Re: YOUR favorite Jamie book (and why)?

I love them all the same probably, but it depends on my mood a lot. The dinners are wonderful when I jsut want something every day. Jamie's kitchen I love for the sea food. Jamie's Italy is fantastic, as I LOVE Italian food.....The new one I like looking through a lot, but I haven't really cooked from it yet.I love that it is very easy to take recipes (from any of the books) and adapt.

Re: YOUR favorite Jamie book (and why)?

Hi Jessica

As has already been said, that is a tricky one. However, I always recommend Jamie's first (I think) book, The Naked Chef, as it has a good variety of dishes, all really accessible, with easy-to-source ingredients and great results. A lot of the dishes are quick to make and all are easy. There are plenty of vegetables included and the basic recipes for, e.g. risotto, set you in good stead to start experimenting with the dish on those days when you have a variety of seemingly incompatible ingredients in the fridge. Chocolate and pear pasta, anyone? (OK, not quite that extreme, but you get my drift).

Another great one for knocking up tasty, healthy dishes quickly, when you get in from work tired, is Jamie's Italy book (sorry, can't remember the name). There are more extravagant recipes here too, but there are lots of good, simple but different pasta dishes, not to mention great pizza recipes if the take away starts to look tempting some nights.

You can't go far wrong with any of the books (cripes, this sounds like an advert for Jamie - I promise I'm not his publisher's PR office) but these are the two I find I use the most for everyday cooking.

Re: YOUR favorite Jamie book (and why)?

For us, all of Jamie's books are our bible's..................but we must say that our all time favourite is COOK WITH JAMIE as our son's photo is inside the front and back covers along with a great number of his 15 Family

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